Promoters for enhancing plant productivity

Abstract

Tomato LapA promoters and gene sequences are provided. The promoters are induced in plants upon wounding, or other stress-related conditions. The gene sequences include a full-length LapA gene, particularly the amino terminal region of the gene. Methods of making stress resistant plants, and of making plants susceptible to stress are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An isolated recombinant nucleic acid comprising a plant leucine aminopeptidase promoter which remains hybridized to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3 at 65° C. in 0.2× SSC for 15 minutes. 
     
     
       2. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein the promoter comprises a nucleic acid subsequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3. 
     
     
       3. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein the recombinant nucleic acid further comprises a heterologous nucleic acid subsequence operably linked to the plant leucine aminopeptidase promoter. 
     
     
       4. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 3, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid subsequence encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of phytoalexin, chitinase, glucanase, proteinaceous protease inhibitors I and II, Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin, viral coat proteins, heat shock proteins (hsp), chilling acclimation response proteins (car30 and car757), acetohydroxy acid synthase, chimeric proteins of rat cytochrome p4507A1 and yeast NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, phosphotransferases, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, malate synthetase, α amylase isozymes, and alcohol dehydrogenase. 
     
     
       5. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a recombinant expression cassette. 
     
     
       6. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 5, wherein the recombinant expression cassette further comprises an independent terminator sequence, replication sequences and a selection marker sequence. 
     
     
       7. An isolated recombinant nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide comprising residues 1-54 of SEQ ID NO:5. 
     
     
       8. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 7, wherein the nucleic acid encodes a full-length tomato acidic leucine aminopeptidase polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:5. 
     
     
       9. An isolated full-length recombinant genomic tomato acidic leucine aminopeptidase gene that remains hybridized to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3 at 65° C. in 0.2× SSC for 15 minutes. 
     
     
       10. A recombinant cell comprising the nucleic acid of claim 1. 
     
     
       11. The recombinant cell of claim 10, wherein the recombinant nucleic acid comprises a promoter which is operably linked to a heterologous nucleic acid. 
     
     
       12. The recombinant cell of claim 11, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of phytoalexin, chitinase, glucanase, proteinaceous protease inhibitors I and II, Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin, viral coat proteins, heat shock proteins (hsp), chilling acclimation response proteins (car30and car757), acetohydroxy acid synthase, chimeric proteins of rat cytochrome p4507A1 and yeast NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, phosphotransferases, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, malate synthetase, α amylase isozymes, and alcohol dehydrogenase. 
     
     
       13. A transgenic plant comprising the recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1. 
     
     
       14. The transgenic plant of claim 13, wherein the recombinant nucleic acid comprises a promoter which is operably linked to a heterologous nucleic acid. 
     
     
       15. The transgenic plant of claim 13, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of phytoalexin, chitinase, glucanase, proteinaceous protease inhibitors I and II, Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin, viral coat proteins, heat shock proteins (hsp), chilling acclimation response proteins (car30 and car757), acetohydroxy acid synthase, chimeric proteins of rat cytochrome p4507A1 and yeast NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, phosphotransferases, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, malate synthetase, α amylase isozymes, and alcohol dehydrogenase. 
     
     
       16. A method of expressing a nucleic acid in response to an environmental stimulus comprising the steps of: providing a transgenic plant comprising a recombinant expression cassette having a heterologous nucleic acid operably linked to a recombinant nucleic acid comprising a plant leucine aminopeptidase promoter which hybridizes under stringent conditions to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3; and,   subjecting the plant to an environmental stimulus which activates the leucine aminopeptidase promoter, thereby transcribing the heterologous nucleic acid.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, wherein the environmental stimulus is selected from the group consisting of mechanical injury, chemical injury, pathogen infection and insect infestation. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 16, wherein the nucleic acid expressed in response to a environmental stimulus encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of wound-induced polypeptides, peptides that signal flowering, and peptides that initiate sap production.